Proud queen name ‘should be added to old school’

A call has been made to return the historic Queen Elizabeth School name to Middleton. Generations of youngsters were educated at the school over the centuries, but the name was lost when St Anne’s Academy was formed in 2007.

A call has been made to return the historic Queen Elizabeth Grammar School name to Middleton by renaming the Old Grammar School

A call has been made to return the historic Queen Elizabeth School name to Middleton.

Generations of youngsters were educated at the school over the centuries, but the name was lost when St Anne’s Academy was formed in 2007.

A former pupil is now calling for the name to be returned – possibly by renaming the Old Grammar School in Boarshaw.

Joyce Cooper, who attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School between 1943 and 42 when it was on Rectory Street, said the name was an integral part of the town.

She said: "The school was at the heart of the town for centuries and it is now sadly missing from it.

"I remember when I was a pupil there we learnt about the school’s history, which we took an enormous sense of pride from.

"It was disappointing when the name was lost, but I can see no reason why it can’t be returned to the Old Grammar School."

The Queen Elizabeth name was first attached to the town’s main school in 1572 when the then reigning monarch wrote a letter allowing Alexander Nowell to set up a school in her name in the town.

Although youngsters had been educated at Middleton Parish Church since Cardinal Thomas Langley rebuilt the church in the 15th century, it wasn’t until 1586 that the town’s first purpose built school was constructed.

The Old Grammar School, as it is now known, carried the Queen Elizabeth name for over 300-years until 1909 when the school closed, but the name was kept and transferred first to Rectory Street, then to Alkrington and finally to Hollin.

It was lost in 2007 when St Anne’s Academy was created from the former Queen Elizabeth School off Hollin Lane.

Donald Gibbs, chairman of the Old Elizabethan Association, said he was content with the current situation and didn’t want the Old Grammar School renamed.

He said: "As things stand we have two well-attended events each year for former Queen Elizabeth pupils.

"We have a reunion in May and a remembrance ceremony at St Anne’s to honour the former pupils who died the two world wars.

"We are also grateful for all the work done at the Old Grammar School to preserve the building.

"Between those two things I am happy that there is enough being done to keep the Queen Elizabeth School memory alive."

Our newspapers include the flagship Manchester Evening News - Britain's largest circulating
regional daily with up to 130,485 copies - as well as 20 local weekly titles across Greater
Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire.

Free morning newspaper, The Metro, published every weekday, is also part of our portfolio,
delivering more than 200,000 readers in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Business Week is the region’s number one provider of business news andfeatures, targeting a bespoke business audience with 12,687 copies every Thursday.

Every month, M.E.N. Media’s print products reach 2.2 million adults, spanning from Accrington
in the north to Macclesfield in the south.